NBA Playoffs 2018: Wednesday TV Schedule and Semifinal Predictions
The Utah Jazz failed their first test against the Houston Rockets, with the unstoppable force scoring a 110-96 victory over the immovable object in Sunday's series opener.
Will tussle No. 2 on Wednesday night be any different? It could but only if the NBA's second-best defense does a much better job of slowing its second-most efficient offense.
That starts with containing MVP candidate James Harden, a task far simpler said than done. The bearded baller hit the same number of threes as the Jazz (seven, on 10 fewer attempts) and almost outscored their top duo by himself (41 points to the 42 from Donovan Mitchell and Jae Crowder).
Houston only suffered seven home losses this season, just two of which came in 2018. Utah has a monumental task ahead.
After laying out the broadcast information and semifinal series predictions, we'll dig deeper into round two of the Rockets-Jazz bout.
Wednesday NBA Playoff Schedule
Game 2—Utah Jazz at Houston Rockets, 8 p.m. ET on TNT (Live stream here)
Semifinal Predictions
Eastern Conference
No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers over No. 1 Toronto Raptors 4-2
No. 3 Philadelphia 76ers over No. 2 Boston Celtics 4-3
Western Conference
No. 1 Houston Rockets over No. 5 Utah Jazz 4-2
No. 2 Golden State Warriors over No. 3 New Orleans Pelicans 4-1
Jazz-Rockets: Game 2 Preview
Utah's offense is playing up a weight class (or two) in this series. The Rockets' attack powered by Harden and Chris Paul tied for 10th most efficient all-time. The Jazz were 15th in offensive efficiency this season.
It wasn't a fair fight already, and then Utah lost starting point guard and top distributor Ricky Rubio to a hamstring injury. His initial timetable was 10 days, league sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, which wouldn't bring him back until four games are in the books.
Rubio might not be the sharpest shooter, but he's a critical piece of this offense.
"He's emerged as their most savvy ball-handler, and as a floor leader," Tony Jones and Kyle Goon wrote for the Salt Lake Tribune. "He's improved his shooting and ability to score. He's figured out a way to make Rudy Gobert and the Jazz's other big men better."
After the All-Star break—when the Jazz hit their stride—Rubio was invaluable. The offense was 8.0 points better per 100 possessions with him than without.
Utah looked lost without him at times in Game 1, as Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle observed:
Jazz coach Quin Snyder said there was a disconnect without Rubio running the show:
Houston's defense, of course, played a part in that. The Rockets can switch everything, which eliminates most of the advantages Utah's system is designed to create. The Jazz, who assisted on 63.9 percent of their field goals after the All-Star break, only had 20 assists on 38 field goals during the opener (52.6 percent).
If an offense stalls against the Rockets, Paul and Harden can bury it. The pair combined for 58 points, 13 assists, 12 rebounds and 10 threes in Game 1. Before Utah blinked, it was falling into holes it couldn't climb out of—down 13 after the first quarter, down 25 at half.
The Minnesota Timberwolves, Houston's first-round opponent, could tell Utah all about the dangers presented by the Rockets' rapid-fire offense. During that five-game series, Houston finished six different quarters with at least 30 points, including a 50-point barrage that was the second-highest in NBA playoff history, per ESPN Stats & Info.
The Rockets enter Wednesday with health, home court and superior talent on their side. That's a lot to ask of any team, especially one without its first-team floor general. Expect Houston to take a firm grip on this series.
Statistics used courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com.
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